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Federal officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have pulled the curtain behind Enbridge's effort to greenwash its tar sands pipeline spill into Michigan's Kalamazoo River. On the same day that Enbridge told its investors that its tar sands spill and cleanup had made the Kalamazoo River cleaner, EPA ordered the Canadian tar sands pipeline company to resume its cleanup of the Kalamazoo River after finding that submerged oil "exists throughout approximately 38 miles of the Kalamazoo." EPA's findings, based on technical analysis from prominent scientists from the international oil spill response and recovery community, stand in stark contrast with the alternate reality that Enbridge is selling to investors and the public. Enbridge's legacy in Kalamazoo was outlined by federal investigators as a company whose poor safety practices and failures to learn from past mistakes which resulted in the most expensive onshore pipeline disaster in U.S. history. The Canadian tar sands company's recent attempt to gloss over this reality with a public relations campaign reveals the company has yet to learn this basic truth – simply saying something doesn't make it so.
EPA issued Enbridge with an enforcement action requiring the pipeline company to resume its two year cleanup in three sections of the Kalamazoo River. In these areas, totaling over five and a half miles of the Kalamazoo River, there is so much submerged oil that the river is spontaneously generating oil sheen and oil globules and in danger of spreading.
Even with EPA's new order, Enbridge will still be leave oil contamination in over 32 miles of the Kalamazoo River, where officials believe that the dredging necessary to recover the oil would cause more damage than benefit. That means that after Enbridge finishes the cleanup that EPA has ordered, the company will leave tar sands in place throughout over 30 miles of the Kalamazoo River.
Enbridge's attempt to greenwash its impact on the Kalamazoo River speaks for itself. In a presentation to investors this week, the company provided three quotes from anonymous local residents, fisherman and river enthusiasts, who gush about what Enbridge's tar sands spill has done for the community.
Who are these people and where do they come from? As part of our Voices Against Tar Sands, we talked to folks in Marshall, Michigan. The people we talked to have names and stories to tell. It's worth listening to what folks like Susan Connolly and Debbie Miller have to say about what Enbridge's tar sands spill has done to their community.
This isn't the first time that Enbridge has opted to obscure a problem rather than address it. For instance, Enbridge's plan to ship tar sands in super tankers through British Columbia's sensitive inner coastal waters – a treacherous maze of tightly packed rocky islands and reefs - has generated a public uproar in the province. Enbridge's solution? The company broadened the Douglas Channel by erasing 400 square miles of offending islands on a map which it then promoted in a public relations campaign. Even if you look closely at the supertanker on Enbridge's map, it's hard to tell whether its run aground on Hawkesbury Island or if it is still in Devastation Channel.
During the Kalamazoo River tar sands spill, Enbridge initially denied that tar sands was spilled. As Congressional and federal investigations began to uncover additional details on the spill, Enbridge CEO Patrick Daniel backtracked, saying:
"No, I haven't said it's not tar sand oil. What I indicated is that it was not what we have traditionally referred to as tar sands oil. ... If it is part of the same geological formation, then I bow to that expert opinion. I'm not saying, 'No, it's not oil sands crude.' It's just not traditionally defined as that and viewed as that." Patrick Daniels, August 12, 2010
It was tar sands diluted with volatile natural gas liquid condensate, technically referred to as diluted bitumen.
And recently, a Canadian newspaper broke another Enbridge flip flop. During hearings before Canadian officials in May, Enbridge pitched the reversal of its line 9 pipeline as a means to provide conventional crude to Eastern Canada. In June, Enbridge officials responded to opposition to plans to build establish the Trailbreaker pipeline system to ship tar sands through New England, saying 'we have been absolutely clear that the company is not pursuing the Trailbreaker Project… I'm not sure what more we can say or how clearly we can say this." Belying Enbridge's denials, this week a U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the Natural Resources Council of Maine uncovered that the Canadian Consulate has made presentations to the governor of Maine to promote the arrival of tar sands in New England. Is it possible that Enbridge doesn't traditionally view the Trailbreaker project the way the rest of the world does?
It's no wonder communities in the Midwest, New England, and British Columbia are balking at Enbridge's plans to build and expand its tar sands pipeline network through their groundwater and rivers.


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England's creative industries have been handed a £20 million boost, the Government has announced.
The package, which will help sectors including fashion, broadcast and video games, is designed to support an industry that contributes more than £100 billion to the UK economy, Minister for the Creative Industries Margot James said.
The deal includes £4 million being pumped into the creative industries of Bristol, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands while a £14 million Creative Careers Programme will see leading industry figures working with schools and college to improve access to job opportunities.
Organisers hope to reach more than 160,000 students by 2020. Another £2 million will go towards the Get it Right campaign, which seeks to educate consumers on copyright infringement.
And £200,000 will be spent on the Digital Schoolhouse programme, which is delivered by games trade body Ukie and PlayStation.
It aims to inspire the next generation of game creators and could be in place in 50 schools by September next year.
Ms James said: "Millions of people around the world enjoy our world-class creative and cultural output every day and we want to stay as a frontrunner in these vibrant sectors.
"Our creative industries are a vital part of the economy, contributing over £100 billion to the economy so it is important we maintain the pipeline of talent.
"This package will take the sector from strength to strength by arming the next generation of creatives with the necessary skills and giving businesses in the sector the support they need to succeed."
The cash injection follows the publication of new figures which reveal the value of the creative industries to the UK is up from £94.8 billion in 2016 to £101.5 billion, growing at nearly twice the rate of the economy since 2010.

subset: commoncrawl


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"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." ~ H.L. Mencken
Libertarians Are Nothing Special
Column by Paul Bonneau.
Exclusive to STR
Watch out, Paul, or you'll get purists like Per Bylund on your case! But perhaps he's moved on to greener pastures; I haven't seen much from him here lately about how anyone who admits that there MIGHT be justification for a small government should be shunned.
I've wrestled for some time with the issues you raise. On a train trip not long ago I sat at dinner with three other people, all of them pleasantly spouting what I consider to be statist nonsense. For some reason I didn't feel moved to put forth even a mild objection to their assumptions, and afterward I berated myself for not doing so. But more and more I'm coming to believe that people learn only when they're willing to learn, and that it's useless or even counterproductive to try to convince them of something they aren't ready to accept.
Of course we should not be silent at all times, but it's a judgement call, with considerations not easily quantified, as to when it's productive to speak up. And definitely you're right in saying that it's silly to write off people with whom we have philosophical objections: that road leads only to isolation and marginalization.
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- "...I'm coming to believe that people learn only when they're willing to learn, and that it's useless or even counterproductive to try to convince them of something they aren't ready to accept..."
I'm in full agreement on that score, John. I try to always remember the old childhood jingo-jangle: "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still".
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Dear Paul, The ruling class does not rule without at least tacit popular support. Your neighbor is at least partially responsible for oppression. As far as the "voluntaryists" are concerned on facebook, what aspect of the non-aggression principle have they failed to respect? Is it their inability to communicate why the NAP should be adhered to? Last that I checked, no violence had occurred. I say make 'em feel guilty for wanting others to steal from you for their government cause of the day.
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Paul, I always look forward to your essays. You have the capability to calm the h2o even while stirring up the troops.
Flag-wavers, religionists, conservatives, liberals -- none present a threat to us when our own houses are in order. Seems the ambience of libertarianism has to do with presenting our message of liberty without ourselves being rude or unkind or combative.
Plenty of time (we hope) for many of those who fit the above categories to turn around and pursue freedom and liberty and put their hands out to us for help. When that occurs I want the hand of our fellowship to be there for them.
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- "...until I looked at it this way, flag-waving made no sense to me. But the people who attach themselves to these mental landmarks have great difficulty questioning them, even though some might be false or misleading..."
Today was interesting for me in light of your essay and this particular thought therein. I love my family. I accept every opportunity to be with them and the grandkids (they have nine -- 9!!!). I'm rather of a "lame-duck", since the older children are now capable to ride herd on the little ones, eliminating much of what had been "grandpa duty".
They are caught up in Ron Paul, flags, 4th of July parades and the idea that a good state must be a good thing (now all we need to do is work toward a "good state" -- oxymoron of oxymorons, but whom am I to judge???). They have homeschooling neighbors, the husband of whom is candidate for political office (state senator).
Since I'm a "Korean Vet" they dutifully asked me to march along with them in the float all the homeschoolers had worked so diligently to construct for today's parade.
I discreetly declined.
Dave, my son (6th of my 7 children) knows I oppose the aggrandizement of war and I refuse all endearments bestowed upon "veterans" for the purpose of legitimizing predators of state and their waring agendas. Dave knows that I would never participate in such a spectacle.
But he had to ask, knowing I had to decline. Gently.
I compromised and drove the shuttle bus to meet them at the parade's terminus, returning them to their van. I fueled the bus and busied myself elsewhere during the parade.
Afterward I took them all out for dinner and we enjoyed family time together. I realized, as did my family, that we live in a waring, nationalistic mentality. I can non-caustically side-step involvement. They've been around Dr. Paul enough to know "we" have no business interfering in the internal affairs of foreign political entities.
I let them know in no uncertain terms that the US Military is and has always been a threat -- not a contributor -- to peace in this part of the world. Never insult me by thanking me for serving. I served nobody. Sam
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"The ruling class does not rule without at least tacit popular support."
This is true. I think it is also true that anarchists cannot have liberty without at least tacit popular support. So, we need to find some kind of accommodation with them, isn't that so?
Let's work in our own interests, as consistently as we can figure out how to do that.
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Times Square Church Founder David Wilkerson Dies in Accident
The Rev. David Wilkerson, the founding pastor of Times Square Church in Manhattan, N.Y., died in a severe car crash in East Texas Wednesday afternoon. His wife, Gwendolyn Wilkerson, was injured and airlifted to a local hospital.
Wilkerson, 79, crashed his car into an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer rig on US Highway 175, outside of Cuney, about 95 miles southwest of Dallas, according to East Texas's KLTV 7. The Department of Public Safety said the accident happened around 1 p.m.
The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, was declared dead at the scene. By late Wednesday night, hospital officials said 70-year-old Gwendolyn Wilkerson, who was wearing a seatbelt, was in fair condition with cuts and bruises. The driver of the 18-wheeler, Frederick Braggs, 38, suffered lacerations from his rig driving off the bridge and into a riverbed, according to KLTV 7. He was also taken to the hospital.
"Pastor David Wilkerson's was a life fully given for the glory of God and souls of men," said Times Square Church, in a statement. "He was greatly loved and he will be greatly missed."
"Our prayers are with the family and we as a church body are committed to standing with them at this time of sorrow."
Wilkerson founded Times Square Church in 1986 when he walked down 42nd street at midnight and his heart was broken over the prostitutes, pimps, runaways, drug addicts, hustlers, and X-rated movie houses he saw.
"I saw 9-, 10- and 11-year-old kids bombed on crack cocaine. I walked down 42nd Street and they were selling crack. Len Bias, the famous basketball player, had just died of a crack overdose, and the pusher was yelling, 'Hey, I've got the stuff that killed Len,'" recalled Wilkerson, according to the Times Square Church website.
"I wept and prayed, 'God, you've got to raise up a testimony in this hellish place … The answer was not what I wanted to hear: 'Well, you know the city. You've been here. You do it.'"
In October 1987, Wilkerson opened Times Square Church in Town Hall. The church was later moved to its present location, the Mark Hellinger Theater.
Besides founding Times Square Church, Wilkerson is also famous for his bestselling book, The Cross and the Switchblade, which tells the true story of his calling to New York City. The book documents his ministering to youths involved in drugs and gangs. The Cross and the Switchblade is ranked No. 32 in Christianity Today's list of "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals." The book was adapted into a movie in 1970 starring Pat Boone.
Wilkerson is also the founder of Teen Challenge, an evangelical Christian recovery program connected to the Assemblies of God denomination that teaches biblical principles to help young adults struggling with addictions, including drug and alcohol problems. The nonprofit has 233 locations in the United States and 1,181 centers in total worldwide, helping as many as 25,000 people struggling with addiction.
"'Brother Dave' was used by God in 1958 to reach out to gang members in New York City. Through that singular act of obedience, tens of thousands of those bound by drug, alcohol and other addictions have found freedom through Jesus Christ," said Teen Challenge USA, in a statement.
The Wilkerson family wrote a message on the website of World Challenge Inc. ministries, which Wilkerson also founded, saying: "We appreciate your prayers and our hearts are sorrowful, yet we rejoice at the joy of knowing David Wilkerson spent his life well."
David Wilkerson is survived by his wife and four children.
Times Square Church plans to hold a memorial service for Wilkerson. The date will be announced at a later time.


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U.S. President Barack Obama wipes his brow while speaking in a hot room about the economy during a trip to the University of Central Missouri in Warrenburg, Missouri July 24, 2013. |
In the second of a series of speeches on the economy, Obama is due to accuse Republicans for standing in the way of faster growth with their fiscal proposals, aides said.
During a tour of the port of Jacksonville, Florida, Obama will "discuss specifically how the House Republican budget approach poses a risk to the progress we've made," the White House said.
In Jacksonville, Obama will argue that repairs to the nation's aging roads, bridges and ports are urgently needed, but he is not expected to unveil new policy proposals until later speeches. He is due to talk about manufacturing at a facility of internet retailer Amazon.com Inc in Chattanooga, Tennessee, next week.
Aides say he plans roughly one speech a week for the rest of the summer touching on retirement security, education, and healthcare, among other issues.
Obama has said repeatedly that his primary focus is to restore economic stability to a middle class that is still wobbly after the deep recession of 2007-2009. That aim has been sidetracked since his re-election last November by his efforts to pass gun control and immigration legislation.
It has also been overshadowed by controversies that have kept the administration on the defensive, such as the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service and revelations of widespread surveillance of citizens' phone and internet records by the National Security Agency.
Overshadowing the president's economic agenda is a looming October 1 deadline when Congress must pass spending bills to keep the government running. Not long after, lawmakers must raise the nation's borrowing limit or risk default.
Congressional Republicans, concerned about a large budget deficit and bills to come due in the future as a result of government retirement and health programs, want spending cuts and lower taxes as part of the budget process.
Despite Obama's desire to change topics, his efforts to launch infrastructure repairs are emblematic of his frustrations in getting Congress to agree to his economic agenda.
In March, Obama traveled to another Florida port to plug his plans to launch big public works projects. "Let's get this done," he said, touring an unfinished tunnel project.
The president has said he wants to develop a national infrastructure bank and capitalize it with $10 billion. He would also create "America Fast Forward Bonds" that would help state and local governments attract money for infrastructure projects.
He has proposed adding $4 billion to support two programs that are used to provide grants for infrastructure projects.
But Republicans have been reluctant to support what they consider government stimulus spending after a much criticized $787 billion stimulus plan that Obama managed to push through Congress in 2009.
Florida's Republican governor, Rick Scott, has also said his state has been able to improve the Florida economy without Washington's assistance.source


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Common Lisp the Language, 2nd Edition
Mapping is a type of iteration in which a function is successively applied to pieces of one or more sequences. The result of the iteration is a sequence containing the respective results of the function applications. There are several options for the way in which the pieces of the list are chosen and for what is done with the results returned by the applications of the function.
The function map may be used to map over any kind of sequence. The following functions operate only on lists.
mapcar function list &rest more-lists maplist function list &rest more-lists mapc function list &rest more-lists mapl function list &rest more-lists mapcan function list &rest more-lists mapcon function list &rest more-lists
For each of these mapping functions, the first argument is a function and the rest must be lists. The function must take as many arguments as there are lists.
mapcar operates on successive elements of the lists. First the function is applied to the car of each list, then to the cadr of each list, and so on. (Ideally all the lists are the same length; if not, the iteration terminates when the shortest list runs out, and excess elements in other lists are ignored.) The value returned by mapcar is a list of the results of the successive calls to the function. For example:
(mapcar #'abs '(3 -4 2 -5 -6)) => (3 4 2 5 6) (mapcar #'cons '(a b c) '(1 2 3)) => ((a . 1) (b . 2) (c . 3))
maplist is like mapcar except that the function is applied to the lists and successive cdr's of those lists rather than to successive elements of the lists. For example:
(maplist #'(lambda (x) (cons 'foo x)) '(a b c d)) => ((foo a b c d) (foo b c d) (foo c d) (foo d))
(maplist #'(lambda (x) (if (member (car x) (cdr x)) 0 1))) '(a b a c d b c)) => (0 0 1 0 1 1 1) ;An entry is 1 if the corresponding element of the input ; list was the last instance of that element in the input list.
mapl and mapc are like maplist and mapcar, respectively, except that they do not accumulate the results of calling the function.
These functions are used when the function is being called merely for its side effects rather than for its returned values. The value returned by mapl or mapc is the second argument, that is, the first sequence argument.
mapcan and mapcon are like mapcar and maplist, respectively, except that they combine the results of the function using nconc instead of list. That is,
(mapcon f x1 ... xn) == (apply #'nconc (maplist f x1 ... xn))
and similarly for the relationship between mapcan and mapcar. Conceptually, these functions allow the mapped function to return a variable number of items to be put into the output list. This is particularly useful for effectively returning zero or one item:
(mapcan #'(lambda (x) (and (numberp x) (list x))) '(a 1 b c 3 4 d 5)) => (1 3 4 5)
In this case the function serves as a filter; this is a standard Lisp idiom using mapcan. (The function remove-if-not might have been useful in this particular context, however.) Remember that nconc is a destructive operation, and therefore so are mapcan and mapcon; the lists returned by the function are altered in order to concatenate them.
Sometimes a do or a straightforward recursion is preferable to a mapping operation; however, the mapping functions should be used wherever they naturally apply because this increases the clarity of the code.
The functional argument to a mapping function must be acceptable to apply; it cannot be a macro or the name of a special form. Of course, there is nothing wrong with using a function that has &optional and &rest parameters as the functional argument.
X3J13 voted in June 1988 (FUNCTION-TYPE) to allow the function
to be only of type symbol or function; a lambda-expression
is no longer acceptable as a functional argument. One must use the
function special form or the abbreviation #' before
a lambda-expression that appears as an explicit argument form.
X3J13 voted in January 1989
to restrict user side effects; see section 7.9.


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Freshmen have been excluded from these previews, as we'd like to wait and see what they have to offer on the NCAA circuit before we come to any long-term conclusions.
-Top 20 Prospects in the Big Ten
-Top 25 Prospects in the ACC
-Top 15 Prospects in the Big 12
-Top 15 Prospects in the Pac-12
-Top 25 Prospects in the Big East
-Top 15 NBA Prospects in the SEC
-Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Non-BCS Conferences, Part One (#1-5)
-Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Non-BCS Conferences, Part Two (#6-10)
-Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Non-BCS Conferences, Part Three (#11-15)
-Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Non-BCS Conferences, Part Four (#16-20)
-Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Non-BCS Conferences, Part Five (#21-25)
#26 Kyle Weems, 6-6, Senior, Small Forward, Missouri State
Jonathan Givony
The reigning Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, Kyle Weems enters his redshirt senior year after an interesting offseason. He had the opportunity to transfer this summer to a BCS school (Kansas, Kansas State, Oregon, Cal were all reportedly interested) and become eligible to play immediately since he already holds his bachelor's degree. Despite seeing his Head Coach, Cuonzo Martin, move on to Tennessee and be replaced by Purdue assistant Paul Lusk, Weems decided to remain loyal to Missouri State and come back for one last run at the NCAA tournament.
Weems saw most of his minutes at power forward for Missouri State last year despite the fact that he's only 6-6. He possesses a strong frame, but is not an overly athletic prospect, lacking the typical quickness and explosiveness you like to see from a player his size in the NBA. Weems was carrying an extra 5-10 pounds last season, but that's something he reportedly addressed this offseason with a stringent conditioning program.
What Weems lacks in style he makes up for with substance. A highly efficient scorer (53% 2P, 40% 3P, 79% FT), Weems displays many of the characteristics NBA scouts like to see in potential role-players.
Weems' most consistent means of scoring is based in his jump-shooting ability. 39% of his field goal attempts came from beyond the arc last season, of which he converted a solid 40%. He makes shots with both his feet set or off the dribble, displaying a quick release and a nice follow through. He's very effective generating offense in the mid-range area, using his body to create space and elevate smoothly for the pull-up jumper.
Weems is not a prolific driver at this stage, possessing neither the first step nor the advanced ball-handling skills to get into the paint and finish at a high rate. This lack of dribble-drive ability is the main reason he got to the free throw line just 4.3 times per-40 minutes pace adjusted last season. Most of his slashing opportunities come on straight line dribbles, where he can lower his shoulder and overpower opponents using his strength.
Weems finds ways to score in other ways, though, be it off post-ups (mostly consisting of turnaround jumpers), short isos, in transition, coming off screens and crashing the offensive glass. He is not very turnover pronecoughing the ball up on just 11% of his used possessionswhich is definitely a positive considering his future role.
He's also a very good rebounder for his size, pulling down nearly 10 boards per-40 minutes pace adjusted.
The biggest question marks regarding Weems' NBA prospects revolve around his play on the defensive end. He'll have to make the transition from guarding Missouri Valley Conference power forwards to NBA wing players, which could be difficult considering his average lateral quickness. Weems struggles at times already to stay in front of quicker players on the perimeter. His effort level isn't always where it needs to be, which is understandable considering his role, but is not something NBA scouts are going to want to see.
If Weems can find a way to shore up his defensive limitations and continues to work on his jump-shot, there could be a role for him in the NBA, possibly similar to the one Jared Dudley plays in Phoenix. Already 22 years old, he'll need to earn a roster spot through productivity and showing he can help a team win games, which he has a chance to start doing right now for a rebuilding Missouri State program.
#27 Alex Young, 6-6, Small Forward, Senior, IUPUI
Joseph Treutlein
Steadily improving his production and playing an expanding role his first three seasons on campus, Alex Young has established himself as a very good scorer at the college level, and will look to capitalize on that as a senior.
Standing 6-6 with a well-built frame and good length, Alex Young is a good overall athlete with a knack for putting the ball in the basket, but still has room to develop his skills in a variety of areas.
On the offensive end, Young does most of his damage attacking the basket, mostly operating with the ball in his hands. His scoring attempts are about evenly split up between isolations, pick-and-rolls, and spot-up catch-and-drives, with him being comfortable in all three situations against the level of competition he faces.
As a ball-handler, the left-handed Young is very reliant on his dominant hand with both dribbling and finishing, often going left on drives to the basket, and usually finding a way to get back to his left hand on the occasions he goes right. Against the level of competition he faces, with his size and athletic abilities, this isn't very problematic, but obviously poses concerns projecting to higher levels. His ball-handling overall is not especially polished, as he doesn't utilize much in terms of advanced moves and his control is lacking at times, but he does a good job taking advantage of his physical tools and also utilizing subtle changes of direction to get around his man.
Young is definitely at his best on spot-up drives where he already has a half step on his man, showing solid instincts in this regard and doing a good job finding the quickest route to the basket, where he's a capable finisher and isn't afraid to draw contact. Young scores in a variety of ways at the rim, utilizing both lay-ups and an array of floaters and runners, but shows problems on the rare occasions his opponents have a formidable help-side defender in the lane, where Young can get very erratic with his finishing.
In isolations, Young isn't quite as comfortable, not always being able to take advantage of his physical tools, as despite his good first step, his average ball-handling skills don't always allow him to utilize it. Young's ability to pull up for jumpers off the dribble is also still a work in progress, as despite him relying on it often, he's very inefficient on these attempts, scoring 0.61 points per possession on pull-up shots according to Synergy.
As a spot-up jump shooter, Young shows potential and has excelled in prior seasons (39.6% three-point shooting on 5.1 attempts per game as a sophomore), but didn't really stand out in this area as a junior, shooting just 33.3% from three on 3.6 attempts per game. Young has solid form with a high and quick release along with flashes of deep range, but he can get sloppy at times and isn't consistent with keeping his legs under him. Really improving in this area would be very helpful to his stock, as spot-up three-point shooting is a highly coveted skill in the NBA among role-playing wings.
In terms of the rest of his offense, Young does a good job throwing his frame around to compete on put-backs around the rim and is also occasionally featured on cuts, two things that he'd likely be asked to do more of if he makes it in the NBA. It's tough to really get a feel for Young's ability on off-ball cuts given the role he plays, and that makes it somewhat difficult to project him to the next level, where he wouldn't be asked to play the go-to scorer role he plays for IUPUI.
On the defensive end, Young shows decent tools with his size and length, while also looking capable in terms of lateral quickness, but his commitment and fundamentals can be inconsistent. Young is prone to letting out of his stance early in isolations and not doing the best he can to contest shots both on the perimeter in the lane, not fully applying himself on this end like he does on offense. Really buckling down here should be a priority for Young this season, and will likely be very important for his stock.
Looking forward, Young appears to be an ideal candidate for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in April, and should get his share of due diligence looks from NBA teams throughout the year. Improving his perimeter shooting, ability to finish against help defense in the lane, and his overall defensive abilities and commitment would all be very helpful to his stock, as would a strong season for his team. The Jaguars have early season matchups against Georgetown and Louisville, and Young shouldn't miss out on those opportunities to catch the attention of scouts.
#28, D.J. Cooper, 5-11, Point Guard, Junior, Ohio
Walker Beeken
Chicago native D.J. Cooper came out of the gates quickly in his college career at Ohio, earning MAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2009-2010 and coming up big in the NCAA tournament in a first round upset over Georgetown. He continued his strong play last season, averaging 15.8 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 steals per game and earning a spot on the MAC all-conference team. The dynamic guard will look to expand on his production as a junior, while shoring up some of his weaknesses, in order to get himself on the radar of NBA scouts.
Standing at only 5'11 and 165 pounds, Cooper's small stature puts him at a disadvantage when evaluating his NBA prospects. He does, however, possess very good athleticism, with great speed, quickness, and explosiveness.
He's an absolute jet with the ball in his hands, and he has plenty of freedom to create, with the ability to get into the paint off the dribble regularly. He used an extremely high rate of his possessions (37%) as the pick and roll ball-handler last season, but was largely inefficient (.69 points per possession), struggling with decision-making, taking difficult shots off the dribble, and having trouble finishing at the rim.
This is the case with Cooper's game in general, as he's an excellent creator, thanks to his quick burst and great change of speed and direction dribbles, but he has trouble at this stage reigning himself in and picking his spots.
This is evident when looking at his shooting numbers. Cooper, a lefty, has a decent stroke, as shown by the fact that he made a solid 76% of his free throws and 35% of his catch-and-shoot jumpers last season. His efficiency dropped dramatically off the dribble, however, connecting on an extremely poor 15% of his pull-up jumpers. He does a nice job of creating space to get his shot off, but he'll need to make big strides with his shot selection to become more efficient.
When attacking the basket, Cooper has a scorer's mentality but also has very good passing instincts, as shown by his 8 assists per-40 pace adjusted last season, ranking him third in the country. As a finisher, he's ultimately limited due to his lack of size, but he's very creative and able to make some difficult shots, including a nice tear drop floater, which he uses regularly.
Defensively, Cooper plays hard and is very quick laterally, but his size will always be a concern with bigger guards being able to shoot over the top of him and outmuscle him on dribble penetration. He does a good job utilizing his quick hands and good instincts to create turnovers, but he tends to gamble a bit too often and needs to focus on better positioning.
Overall, Cooper is a prospect worth keeping an eye on as his excellent speed and creativity off the bounce are coveted traits in today's NBA. His size is always going to be an obstacle, though, and the niche for players of his mold is a small one. In order to get the attention of more NBA scouts over his final two college seasons, Cooper will need to make some big improvements with his shot selection and learn how to better pick his spots to highlight his talents while becoming more efficient.
#29 Brandon Davies, 6'9, Junior, Power Forward, BYU
Jeff Rush
Last year was magical in Provo as the nation caught Jimmer-mania and the Cougars had one of the best years in the proud history of the program. The only real negative during the season was the suspension of Brandon Davies in late February, which left BYU extremely thin in the front court heading into post-season play. Davies reportedly impregnated a woman, a violation of the Mormon school's honor code which says students must remain chaste and virtuous.
BYU regrouped and advanced to the Sweet 16 despite his absence, but there they ran into the powerful Florida frontcourt and lost in overtime. For 2011-2012, Davies is back and will be counted on to be the Cougars' best player and keep them in among the top mid-major programs in the country.
Physically, Davies has some interesting tools. He is a legit 6'9 with very long arms and can cause a lot of problems for opposing defenses running the floor in transition. He is listed at 235 pounds, but he is not nearly strong enough to be effective banging in the lane as he often gets knocked off balance while making his move in the paint. Another strike against Davies athletically is the fact that he is not explosive when jumping off of two feet, which limits his ability to finish over other post players in the lane. He is capable of making a move off the dribble and dunking on someone, but only if he gets a running start and jumps off of one foot.
In the post, Davies puts the ball on the floor just about every time he makes a move regardless of whether he is going over his left or right shoulder. He is most effective making sweeping moves across the lane going either direction and using his length to finish around his defender. This is something that he is able to get away with because of the shooters that BYU has all over the floor, which allows him to work one-on-one in the post with a lot of open space. He struggles in these situations when the lane is crowded which often leads to him forcing awkward shots in the lane. He is easily bumped off balance and he tends to force shots while falling away when he is bodied by a defender.
On the perimeter Davies' game is almost non-existent. While he did make major strides at the free throw line, improving by 11% in almost double the amount of attempts per-game from his freshman year. Away from the charity stripe, Davies' struggled mightily taking jump shots from the perimeter, shooting only 24%. He was willing to shoot jumpers out to 15-17', but rarely did a defender venture that far from the basket to guard him, preferring to clog up the middle and concede the jump shot.
Davies did do a good job of protecting the ball, sporting a 1/1 a/to ratio although he is not a guy that will be asked to create shots for others. This season he will be the focal point of the Cougar's offense and will be counted on to make plays as the primary post weapon.
On the defensive end of the floor, Davies is a solid but unspectacular defender. He does not do a very good job of fighting for position or denying the entry pass, however he does do a good job of playing big with high hands to cause problems with his length. He seems to be actively avoiding any type of fouls, which could be by design to keep him on the floor because of a severe lack of depth in the post for BYU. Davies was pretty effective while in isolation situations, often brought on by switches in the pick and roll, as he does a good job by using his length to make up for his lack of quickness.
After riding excellent guard play to the Sweet 16 last year, Brigham Young will have to completely change the way their offense runs in their first post-Jimmer season. Davies will be a focal point offensively and it will be imperative for him to have made major strides in his game from his sophomore year. In order to reach his full potential and play at the next level Davies will need to expand his offense and continue to work on his body.
#30, Keith Wright, 6'8, Senior,PF, Harvard
Derek Bodner
Keith Wright returns for his senior year at Harvard after a junior season that saw him capture the Ivy League player of the year award, while his team earned their most wins in school history. The Crimson fell a basket short of the Ivy League championship and their first NCAA tournament appearance in over 60 years.
Harvard returns all of their major contributors from that 23 win team, none more important than Keith Wright. The 6'8 big man improved his contributions across the board, increasing his minutes (32.3 minutes per game, up from 21.4), scoring output (19.1 points per 40 minutes, pace adjusted, from 16.2), rebounding (10.7, from 8.3), and efficiency (61% true shooting percentage, up from 57%), taking the leadership role on a young Crimson team from the departed Jeremy Lin.
Wright would be undersized for the power forward spot at the next level at 6'8, but has solid length and wide shoulders, although he could stand to improve his frame a little bit more. Not a leaper by NBA standards, Wright operates primarily under the basket, an athletic limitation that may be tough to overcome.
Wright gets the majority of his offense in the post, where he is quicker and stronger than most of his defenders and has solid footwork. He does a good job of sealing his defender and creating room for an entry pass, and he has a quick spinning hook over either shoulder as well as a strong drop step that he converts with efficiency. His touch around the hoop is only average, he doesn't get to the line at an exceptional rate, and he appears to be bothered by length, something that puts into question how well, if at all, this staple of his game would translate to the next level.
The majority of the rest of his offense comes off of cuts to the basket and offensive rebounds. His 4.1 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes pace adjusted are in the top half of our database for power forward prospects, and he converts these at an excellent clip, in the top percentile according to Synergy Sports Technology. He does a good job of gathering himself quickly, keeping the ball high, and going up before the defense has re-set itself.
Wright's ability as a jump shooter is perhaps the most unknown part of his game, and a crucial area he has to prove if he wants to stick to a roster at the next level. Wright attempted very few jump shots last year for the Crimson, certainly not enough of a sample size to prove consistency. But on the rare occasions he did, he appeared to have consistent form and good results out to mid-range, something strengthened by his free throw percentage, which is at 72% through his first three years.
While Wright doesn't show great quickness or ball-handling skills, and doesn't appear to be poised to become a face-up threat at the next level even with an established threat as a jump shooter, it would allow him to transition to being a role player, as his post-game has questions on how well it would translate.
Defensively, Wright appears to give solid effort, and his length allows him to be effective as a weak side help defender. He has some physical limitations on this end of the court, as he isn't all that quick laterally, something that is sure to become more of an issue at the next level. He also isn't all that explosive off his feet, and it's questionable whether he would be the shot blocking threat he currently is. He also appears at times to get lost off the ball, particularly on over rotations, and is slow to recover.
On the defensive glass, his 6.6 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes is a fairly pedestrian number, especially for a guy who at most times was the tallest guy on the floor for his team. This can in part be explained by his role as a weak side help defender, but too often he was out of position when the shot went in the air, without the athleticism to get back and recover.
With the Crimson returning their core personnel from a 23 win team, led by senior forward Keith Wright, along with the continued improvement coach Tommy Amaker has shown since taking over the club in 2008, and a relatively weak schedule, they have a great chance to win the Ivy League and return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the Truman administration. A little more exposure against legitimate competition, with continued expansion of his game as a jump shooter, may be enough to see Wright get a more extended look during the pre-draft process, or perhaps an invite to summer league and/or training camp.


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Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure that removes fat and excess skin from the area around the eyelids. It can remove the puffy bags under the patient's eyes and correct droopy eyelids. Patients who undergo blepharoplasty generally wind up with eyes that look younger and more alert.
FaceForum has compiled this information for our visitors who want to learn more about blepharoplasty. We hope that our blepharoplasty section will provide you with a good foundation for understanding the surgery. While we have done our best to collect information for you, please realize that FaceForum's blepharoplasty section cannot answer all of your questions and is not intended to replace the advice your receive in a one-on-one consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon.
With that in mind, please read on!
We've broken the information in the blepharoplasty section out into pages. Each page has previous/next navigation for those of our visitors who wish to proceed in an orderly fashion. If you happen to be the kind of person who likes to skip around from topic to topic, we have also incorporated a Quick Topic Navigation index at the bottom of each page.
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Powertrain Replacement Trampoline Spring Safety Pad - 10ft Pink
The pad is fitted with an 11cm PVC skirt which hangs down over the frame. This assists in locating the padding and also improves the appearance of the trampoline.
Durable elastic ties under the outside edge of the pad at regular intervals tie the padding down securely to the frame.
The internal padding is a high density 15mm thick synthetic foam rubber.
- Trampoline safety spring pad
- Pad width: 25cm
- 11cm outer skirt
- High density 15mm synthetic foam
- Nylon mesh reinforcing
- Spring locating ties
- Brand: Powertrain
- Material: UV proof PVC
- Size: 10ft
- Colour: Pink
- 1 x Safety Pad 10ft
Rolladeal Return/Exchange Policy:
When you are shopping at Rolladeal, we want you to shop with confidence. We are committed to making your shopping experience a success. We trust that you will be happy with your experience on our webstore. This policy is provided in addition to and does not alter any of your statutory rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
We gladly accept unused, unworn, unwashed, or defective merchandise purchased on www.rolladeal.com for return or exchange. Item must be in original condition with all the tags, labels and tickets intact, must not to be worn, used, altered or washed and must be in its original packaging. We will return the item to the buyer if above conditions are not met. Please note the original shipping charges incurred at the time of purchase (if any) are non-refundable.
Should a Customer seek to return goods to RK Global, they must in the first instance contact RK Global ("Returned Good") within 72 hours of receipt of the goods by email to firstname.lastname@example.com. You must complete the Returns Form and place it in the packet. Please see the "Instructions For Return Or Exchange" for complete directions.
1. Returns accepted within 14 days of purchase. On Sale items cannot be returned.
2. Due to health reasons cosmetics, earrings, fragrances and nail polishes cannot be returned unless faulty or not as described.
3. Gift cards cannot be returned or exchanged.
4. The original order number is required to process your return. If you don't have this information, please Contact Us
Free Return/Exchange is available for customers in Australia. We offer free return or exchange for faulty, damaged or significantly different product than that described within 14 days of delivery. We will even bear the return postage charges. Please note that leather is a natural material and as such variations in colour, texture, grain, marks and creases are part of this material's unique characteristic.
For change of mind or wrong selection of size or colour, we will happily refund or exchange within 14 days of delivery. In such cases, customers are responsible for all return postage.
Please note a full refund will be offered if another size or colour is out of stock. Customer will be given opportunity to register for notification when the item is in stock again. Also note the original shipping charges incurred at the time of purchase (if any) are non-refundable.
Once your returned item has been received at our warehouse, we'll process the refund usually within 7 to 10 working days. Please allow 5-10 business days for refunds to be received to your original form of payment once processed. We will send you a notification once refund has been processed.
Please note: If you paid with a gift card or e-gift card, a new gift card or e-gift card in the amount of the credit will be issued and mailed/emailed to you accordingly. Gift cards cannot be returned or exchanged.
Swimwear, Lingerie And Intimate Apparel Return And Exchange:
It is not possible to return swimwear, lingerie or intimate apparel items that have been worn or are returned in a used/soiled condition. All intimate apparel must be returned in original condition with original packaging and tags attached and with hygiene strips in place. Please try swimwear wearing full briefs.
International Return/Exchange:
Should you wish to return a faulty item, you must contact us within 14 days of delivery. We will send you a prepaid return postage label. International orders cannot be exchanged because of any reason and will be refunded in full in case of item being faulty upon receipt of return. Customer will need to place a new order should they want an exchange. Customers are reponsible for all return postage for returns. So please select your item carefully. We will not be responsible for loss or damage during transit. We recommend using a postage method which insures items in transit.
Variation To Refund And Exchange Policy For Items Purchased With Afterpay:
An item purchased online using Afterpay as tender can be refunded by posting it to our return address or exchanged for product or a gift card. Refund/Gift cards will be issued for any difference between the item exchanged and the amount originally paid. All refunds and exchanges are subject to our refund and exchange policy having been met.


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Course Descriptions Fall 2020 Search
To Search:
- Click on field button to select field to search on, such as "Semester" or "Subject Code." Once selected, a pop up definition and search term guidelines for the field appears.
- Click on operations button to select "Contains" or "Equals."
- Enter search term. Course Descriptions Field Definitions
- If more search criteria are desired, select "And" or "Or" in the button to the right of the search term box.
- Add more search criteria as needed.
- Click on the "Search" button.


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Darren Budziszewski is a Junior Technician engineer in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. He is seen carefully standing in the cockpit of a Hawk jet closely inspecting the Plexiglass canopy for smears and scratches. Stooping at the open surface while keeping back flat and his knees bent, its posture that the RAF teaches its employees. Darren polishes the aircraft before its pilot emerges from the building at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the team whose air displays are known around the world, cleaning the red airplanes on their day off, so particular are they. The image is backlit and both canopy and man are bottom-weighted to allow us to see space and sky. Specialists like Darren outnumber the pilots 8:1 and without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Since 2011 we have added the following rides to the park:
Show All Answers
Hours of Operation are available here. For the 2023 season we will be open daily 10:00am to 8:00pm, except during the beginning and end of the year when hours are 10:00am to 6:00pm and 10:00am to 3:00pm. See link for complete list of dates.
We do everything we can to have all the rides open every day. There are times where rides will be down for parts of the day or the whole day in order for regular maintenance to be done, as well as, some rides are weather dependent. Please click here for more information.
Some rides may need to close:
We try to update hours on Facebook when weather happens, but at times this is unavailable.
Memorial Day: 10:00am - 8:00 pm
Fourth of July: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Labor Day: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
**All dates and times are weather dependent
We have two ticket windows.
This is a hard question to answer, because it depends on how busy the day is, how old riders are, how many people are with you, and how long you want to stay. We recommend that you start with $5 per person, but remember there are no refunds on tickets. However, if you do not use all your tickets they do not expire and they can be used from year to year.
If you call our City Hall office at 920-448-3365 they can help you with ticket purchases or gift card options.
Yes, tickets are good from year to year and have no expiration date.
All tickets are 25 cents. All rides take between one and four tickets. Parking is free and there is no general admission charge. For further information you can call 920-448-3365.
Parking is free and we have no admission fee. We sell tickets for 25 cents and each ride ranges from 1 to 4 tickets.
We do have parking suitable for RVs and busses on the West end of the park (Parking Lot F). Follow the signs past the roller coaster and you will see the large parking area.
Yes, we accept all major credit cards except American Express. There is also a $10 minimum purchase required. We also have an ATM inside the main pavilion.
Yes, if you call our City Hall office at 920-448-3365 they can help you with gift card options.
We do not have wrist bands, there is no admission fee, and tickets are 25 cents each. Our rides range from 1 to 4 tickets per person.
You can go to our main ticket window and they will take your name, number, where you may have lost the item, and a description of the item(s) you lost. If and when the item is found, we will call you letting you know we have the item.
**Bay Beach is not responsible for lost items
We would love to be able to donate to your event, but unfortunately since we are municipally owned we cannot donate to other non-profits or fundraising events. Thank you for thinking of us and we are sorry we could not help out.
If you would like to reserve a shelter for your group you can call (920) 448-3365 or book online. You can also order and prepay for your tickets at the same number!
We have a list of caterers that can come to the park and cater for your group. If you are looking for ice cream, soda, ice, or smaller catering, please email email@example.com.
You can reserve your shelter online, or call 920-448-3365 for more information.
We do not have any available in the park, but you are able to bring one with you. Make sure to use an orange "HOT COALS" container to dispose of any hot coals.
Kiddie Rides: Rider has to sit up on their own to ride, and no taller than 50 inches
Family Rides: Some height requirements required to ride with an adult and alone
Thrill Rides: Height requirements to ride alone
You can use them at your own risk. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.
All riders are required to have shirt, shoes, and pants at all times. The only exception is small infants being held on the Merry-go-Round and the Train, they do not need to have shoes on.
Currently we do not have any swimming areas at Bay Beach, but in the near future there is a beach coming. There are a few water parks a few miles away.
Our main Pavilion has bathrooms with access from the South side, as well as from inside the building. We also have bathrooms located at Shelters 1 & 2 (East end of park), Shelters 6 & 7 (South end of the park near the Scat), and near the playground (West end of the park near the Zippin Pippin).
Unfortunately at this time we do not have either available for rent.
To work in the concession areas you have to be 14 or older.
To work on a ride, you have to be 18 or older.
You can apply at NeoGov
You can visit our Friends of Bay Beach site to make a donation or find information on memorial bricks.
We will organize an installation date to place all of the brick orders we receive. You will receive an email once it is installed.
We are sorry to say that after all these years, the ponies have retired as of the 2015 season and will no longer be at the park.
We have a few areas that serve hot food: Bay Beach Grill, located near the Zippin Pippin; our Cafe (main Pavilion); and our outdoor concession stand. The Grill and Cafe are open until 7:00 pm, Concession stand is open until 8:00 pm. There are times when all areas may close early or stay open a little later, depending on weather and attendance that day.
Yes, we have picnic tables available for families, these are on a first come basis. If you would like to purchase food, we have items available at concession stands as well.
All of our rides have a walkie-talkie where they will call a Supervisor over to help; Supervisors are First-Aid and CPR certified. We also have band-aids and first aid supplies at all concession areas, ticket windows, and some rides. Ask an employee and they will help you with your needs.
Bay Beach is a city owned park and unfortunately dogs, with the exception of service dogs, are not permitted in city parks. We are hoping sometime in the future we can make at least a section of the park dog friendly, but unfortunately we are not there yet.
You can call our office number 920-448-3365 or email us at email@example.com and they will direct you to the correct person.
Unfortunately, we do not have an online store at this time. Our gift shop is usually open 10:00 am - 7:00 pm, with some days closing earlier.
Watch our Facebook page for updates on special events or you can look on our website under Special Events.


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Electricity use profiles can have different shapes based on the type of heating (electric or gas) and cooling equipment (if any), and other electric loads such as computers, pumps, and dryers.
Base load includes non-weather-dependent electric loads such as lighting, fans, plug loads (like computers), and electric domestic hot water. This demand for electricity is consistent and is unaffected by variables such as seasonal weather.
Variable load is the demand for electricity that fluctuates over time, such as weather-related heating and cooling. Variable loads also include equipment that is not part of the facility's normal operations (such as electric kilns) and seasonal loads (like stadium lighting).You can determine areas of potential savings by graphically displaying monthly electric consumption and electric demand profiles.
Base or basic charges refer to a minimum cost of service charged for each utility meter. A commercial base charge can range from less than $5 to over $100 per month. The base charge could become important for services that are not used for several consecutive months, such as field lighting or irrigation pumping. It may be cost-effective to cancel service to save the base charge during the months of non-use. However, the reactivation charge must also be considered.
Consumption charges reflect the amount of electricity consumed. In the Northwest, rates vary from less than 1¢ to more than 6¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Most utilities have commercial rate schedules with declining block charges: the more energy you use, the cheaper it gets. For example:
Declining block rates are common for commercial customers.An increasing block rate does the opposite. The more energy you use, the more it costs per kWh. Increasing block rates are very rare. Typically, if you do find an increasing block rate, it will be a residential rate schedule.
Some utilities have seasonal rates, with the cost per kWh going down during warmer months when electricity demand is low.
Although not yet common in the Northwest, utilities are moving toward a less expensive charge for electricity consumed during off-peak hours. For example, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. (off-peak hours), the rate per kWh could be 2¢ less than the rate for electricity consumed between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. (peak hours). Such off-peak rates make strategies such as thermal storage and earlier building warm-up more cost effective.
Demand is the rate of electrical usage in kW measured over increments of time (usually 15 or 30 minutes). Demand charges are billed for your peak kW use averaged over these increments of time. Each month, when the meter is read, the demand indicator is reset to zero. Demand charges in commercial rate schedules vary greatly, from no charge to more than $6 per kW. A spike in demand will result in additional costs on the utility bill and may impact demand charges year-round. To avoid this, it is imperative to understand and minimize demand.
Some utilities in the Northwest now offer an off-peak demand rate. For example:
Some utilities have a ratchet charge on the demand. The highest monthly demand experienced for the year becomes your annual peak. The annual peak is then used to ratchet the monthly demand peaks for the next 11 months. For example, the minimum demand charge for any month is 60 percent of the highest demand in the preceding 11-month period. Demand is a very important target for reduction if your utility has a ratchet clause on the demand.
Examples of a ratchet demand charges:
This increase in demand cost of $1,650 is due to the ratchet clause in the rate schedule. This same ratchet will be charged in all warm months, even when demand is low.
The following examples illustrate how electrical demand charges can increase. If these circumstances occur during peak or near-peak conditions, they can cause a "spike," or sharp increase, in the electric demand. Peak conditions occur when all or most of the facility lighting is on and there is a peak heating or cooling condition, such as morning warm-up (if the heating is electric) or afternoon cooling.
Power factor is a measure of the apparent power compared to the real power. This can be a difficult concept to understand. The important thing is that utilities will charge extra if a facility has a power factor problem. It may show up on the bill as "KVAr HOURS" (reactive power) or "PFA" (Power Factor Adjustment).
Facilities with a large number of motors, light fixtures with magnetic ballasts, and other equipment that has capacitors can have significant power factor charges. Some plug-in items, such as computers, can also have a negative impact on the power factor. You can install components on the facility's electrical distribution system to help correct the problem. These devices can be expensive, but they may be cost-effective if power factor charges are a significant part of the bill. Contact your utility to discuss options for correcting power factor problems.
For a more complete explanation, see Reducing Power Factor Cost.


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Of the many roots musicians traveling the world and spreading the early American music tradition, Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three are the next in line to make a significant impact on music enthusiasts everywhere. From St. Louis, Missouri, their creative mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing rings true and fine, making them among the most innovative of all the purists performing American roots music today.
Recorded at the 2011 Pickathon Music Festival.
Checkout Pokey LaFarge's website.


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China Olympics
Marian Kamensky
Marian Kamensky is the editorial cartoonist for the Swiss satirical montly magazine Nebelspalter and Germany's satirical magazine Eulenspiegel and Playboy magazine. He is currently living in Vienna. You can visit his website at www.humor-kamensky.sk
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The gang is all here. Nike Basketball went back and featured 20 sneaker designs that changed the game when it comes to hoop shoes. Spanning over 20 years, it kicks off with the Nike Air Force 180 Low in 1992, which Nas happened to be seen rocking while partying with Team USA in London, and ends with this year's newfangled model, the Nike Hyperdunk+ 2012.
There are some classic favorites in between, including the Nike Air Flight Huarache made popular by the Fab 5, the Nike Air Raid that Tim Hardaway used to rep and of course Penny Hardaway's Nike Air Foamposite One. It's no coincidence that plenty, thought not all, of the kicks featured have received the retro treatment. Which shoe is your personal favorite?
Check all of the game changing kicks, along with Nike's take on their design, in the gallery.
• LeBron James & Team USA Party With Swizz Beatz & Nas In London [PHOTOS]
• Beyoncé Posts Flicks Of Blue Ivy & More On Tumblr [PHOTOS]
• Nike Officially Debuts the LeBron X [PHOTOS]
• I Do: 10 Songs Rappers Dedicated To The Women In Their Lives
• One Year Later: Did Watch The Throne Really Change The Game?
• 10 Sporting Events That Would Be In The Hip-Hop Olympics [PHOTOS]
• I Got A Story To Tell: 10 Of Hip-Hop's Biggest Snitches, Allegedly
• The Curious Case Of Joseline Hernandez: A Visual Timeline Of Success [PHOTOS]
Photos: Nike Basketball
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21Next page »


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Newspapers were shocked — shocked — to learn that former WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers had borrowed $408 million, ostensibly to purchase company stock. That discovery, coupled with the disclosure that former Tyco International CEO Dennis Kozlowski allegedly "borrowed" $242 million from Tyco for yachts, fine art, and luxury apartments, served to make the ban on corporate loans one of the most popular elements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
But the ban on corporate loans (Section 402) is so broadly stated, and guidance from the beleaguered Securities and Exchange Commission so hard to come by, that no one knows exactly how to interpret it. There's no question that the ban would apply to loans of the type issued to Ebbers and Kozlowski. But it may also prohibit legitimate and productive uses of corporate loans. "The substance of Section 402 is simple — no loans to executives," says Joe Martin, executive vice president and CFO of South Portland, Maine-based Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. "But [the term] loans hasn't been defined, so there's a lot of confusion about whom and what it affects."
Indeed, even the act's sponsors, Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Rep. Michael Oxley (R-Ohio), have expressed concern that the statute could hit unintended targets. Many of the benefits used to attract and retain executives (and lower-ranking employees as well) involve loans or credit extensions. Regardless of the intent of Congress, the broad language of Section 402 may apply to a wide range of compensation practices, including relocation loans, expense-account advances, company-financed insurance coverage, stock-option exercise programs, even loans from 401(k) plans.
Until the SEC offers guidance (indeed, the agency hasn't even said whether it will take up the issue), companies that use such arrangements will either have to scrap them or risk a challenge from regulators or prosecutors down the road. Not surprisingly, compensation consultants are unhappy. "Congress has performed brain surgery with a machete," complains Paul Dorf, managing director of Compensation Resources Inc.
Suggestions, Please
But while the SEC remains silent, corporate lawyers have stepped in with second opinions. On October 15, 26 corporate law firms circulated a white paper on Section 402 issues, with interpretations of its impact on a variety of corporate practices. "Congress intended the law to be broad — it's a question of how broad," says Dixie Johnson, a partner with Fried Frank Harris, one of the law firms that signed the white paper. "People would welcome more articulation on the statute, but at this point, they have to figure out the law themselves."
One thing is clear: sweetheart loans from public companies to executives will soon be a thing of the past. This category includes relocation and mortgage loans, and any other lending for the personal benefit of a senior executive. While existing loans are likely to be tolerated under a "grandfather" clause, from now on public companies will have to abandon some of the perks they have used to recruit talent. "This has put handcuffs on corporate compensation planners," says Dorf.
He argues that loans, even those intended to be forgiven if performance or tenure targets are met, can be legitimate compensation tools. Instead, companies are likely to switch to compensation packages weighted toward cash and restricted stock. Overall, compensation packages will shrink, as will executive share ownership financed by corporations. WorldCom and a number of other companies — most notably Conseco, where seven former executives and directors owe shareholders some $550 million — took a good idea to disastrous extremes. Now companies that still want their managers to have a significant stake in the company must rely on stock awards or mandate holding periods after options are exercised.
The legal white paper argues that Congress did not mean for Section 402 to apply to credit extensions. "The transaction must take the form of a loan, not merely be an extension of credit," the paper suggests. The term loan is commonly understood to be narrower than extension of credit. So, for example, it's expected that companies may continue to make advances for travel or reimbursable relocation expenses. Employees can still use the company car or credit card for personal reasons, as long as they reimburse the amounts in a reasonable amount of time.
Goodbye, Cashless Exercise?
Somewhat less straightforward is the issue of whether loans that facilitate the exercise of stock options were intended to fall under the statute. The National Center for Employee Ownership estimates that virtually all public companies offer cashless option-exercise programs for their employees. Typically, a company lends the money to exercise the options and is then quickly repaid when the employee sells some or all of the stock. "They are loans, but they're outstanding for a nanosecond," says Fairchild's Martin. What's more, the programs are usually available to all employees exercising options. "I don't think it was Congress's intent to isolate executive officers and directors and let everyone else use the facility," he suggests. Nevertheless, Fairchild has for the time being halted such loans to senior officers, and will not resume the practice without clearance from regulators.
Like Fairchild, many other companies are in a holding pattern on a variety of issues, waiting for interpretations from Congress or the SEC. Many have suspended the payment of premiums on company-financed life insurance policies for executives, because doing so might be interpreted as extending credit. "We're advising clients not to make the payments until they get clarification," says Tom Bates, a principal in The Todd Organization, a Greensboro, North Carolina-based consulting firm. In fact, many of the insurance companies that sell so-called split-dollar policies are working with customers to delay their payments without the policy lapsing until the issue is resolved.
When — or even whether — SEC guidance will be forthcoming, however, is uncertain. To say the least, the agency has its hands full for the time being. In the meantime, corporate executives and human-resource departments will have to reevaluate their inventory of executive benefits.
But given the extent of abuse at some companies, even finance chiefs like Martin concede that the federally induced reckoning is necessary. "What they're doing is painful," he says, "but it's the right thing to do."
Death of Split Dollar?
One of the more far-reaching issues involving Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 concerns "split-dollar" life-insurance policies. The Association of Advanced Life Underwriting estimates that as many as 1,600 public companies have invested in such policies for their employees. They are called split dollar because the death benefit and the cash-value appreciation of the policy are split between company and employee.
The company pays the premium and is ultimately repaid when the employee dies or the policy is cashed out. Many of these plans benefit up to several hundred people, says Tom Bates, a principal in The Todd Organization, a consulting firm. "Clients are rethinking their policies. They don't want any specter of loans outstanding to executives or directors." Indeed, Bates is recommending they suspend premium payments until Congress or the Securities and Exchange Commission addresses the issue.
The SEC isn't the only regulator eyeing split-dollar policies. In July, the Internal Revenue Service proposed regulations that would deem premium payments to be loans to executives. It has also been pursuing abusive arrangements, in which companies manipulate policy valuations to shelter income and reduce their taxes. "Anything called split dollar is tainted even if 99 percent of the policies are plain vanilla," says Bates. "The outer-edge transactions have turned the term into a dirty word."


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Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 became the first composite expeditionary helicopter squadron to include both the world's most technologically advanced helicopter; the MH-60R Seahawk and the MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Take-off and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV); during an establishment ceremony today on Naval Air Station North Island.
As the Navy's first operational squadron with both manned and unmanned aircraft, HSM- 35 heralds a new era for Naval Aviation. The squadron, designated the "Magicians," adopted the call sign of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 35, which was decommissioned on NAS North Island in 1992, after 19 years of service.
"The reestablishment of this squadron is exceptional as it points toward the future for our Naval Aviation forces," said Commander, Naval Air Forces, Vice Adm. David H. Buss. "The actions today represent a clear line dividing what Naval Aviation once was and what it will be."
As the next generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter, the MH-60R is the cornerstone of the Navy's Helicopter Concept of Operations. The Fire Scout (VTUAV) system provides unique situation awareness and precision target support for the Navy, said Buss.
Both new aircraft will embark with the Navy's new high speed, agile, shallow-draft Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), which was also recently introduced to the fleet.
The establishment ceremony included the reading of orders by the squadron's first commanding officer, Cmdr. Christopher S. Hewlett, a Los Angeles native.
More than 100 Sailors stood in formation as their unit became an official part of the Navy's Pacific Fleet Air Forces.
"Today we give birth to our new squadron while celebrating the legacy of our past," said Hewlett. "We honor all the former Magicians of HSL-35, and will continue in the same spirit of war-fighting excellence to provide extraordinary support to the fleet."
Sixty former HSL-35 members were in attendance, including one commanding officer, retired Capt. George Powell and an original Magicians' pilot, retired Capt. Rob Moore. Both shared their enthusiasm about the rebirth of their old squadron.
"I think the reestablishment is awesome, because almost every single unit I was a part of during my time in the Navy has been decommissioned," said Powell. "But now this squadron is coming back, and I think it's really neat."
The Magicians' first mission, beginning this summer, will be to undergo training and develop guidelines for what will be the Navy's standards of operation for the expeditionary Fire Scout. According to Buss, the procedures set by the Magicians will chart the course for Naval Aviation's operating future.
Source: U.S. Navy


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Our friends over at Food & Think, a Smithsonian blog, had a nice little post not long ago about one of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's best loved paintings of a Paris café. "Luncheon of the Boating Party" is a jolly scene of men and women flirting and chatting over lunch. But if you look closely, it's hard to tell just what they're eating.
Phillips Collection Chief Curator Eliza Rathbone tells Food & Think:
"It's like a painting about the most perfect meal that ever was—but you can't tell what most of it was. It's the end of the meal. And I think that's one of the reasons why it's such a beguiling picture. It's of that time that comes when everyone has had a delicious meal, they've all gathered, they've focused on the food and now they're just focusing on each other and this beautiful day and they don't want it to be over. And we've all had those kinds of experiences where you want to linger and those are the best meals we ever have."
Who knows if Renoir joined the luncheon or if he was just there to observe. Even if he did tuck in, he can be forgiven for not paying much attention. As NPR's April Fulton has reported, most people remember less about the food than the company when dining out. Food & Think confirms that Renoir wasn't much interested in food, though he could paint a pretty mean still life.
The painting is part of the permanent collection at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Name: Shauna Callahan
Age: 42
Time with company: 4 years
Education: Bachelor of Science in Accounting, University of Colorado
Company headquarters: Louisville, Colorado
Number of countries: The company has a physical presence in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, with coverage in all the major European countries as well, including France, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia
Number of employees total: 500
Number of employees the CFO oversees: 11
CFO's areas of responsibility: accounting, financial records and reporting
About the company: Market Force measures store-level operations and customer attitudes through mystery shopping (store assessments via anonymous agents), customer feedback, retail audits and merchandising services, and provides analytics to help companies make targeted improvements. Its customers are business-to-consumer companies including major retailers, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, financial institutions, entertainment studios and consumer packaged-goods businesses.
1. Where did you start in finance and what experiences led you to the job you have today?
I started out of college with Arthur Andersen here in Denver. It was a fantastic learning experience, but after spending three years there I knew I wanted to work in a company where I could more directly influence business decisions. So I went to work for a company called Coram Healthcare. That was a consolidation of four different companies and it was extremely challenging, but I was hooked on figuring out how to pull all of that together. A couple of years later, I was approached to do something similar in Australia for Corporate Express. They were rolling up nine companies and I jumped at the chance to get involved.
I came back to Colorado in 2000. Since then, I've been fortunate to get quite a range of experience working for small companies, large companies, public and private companies. That experience has really allowed me to be open to new opportunities. I thrive on challenge and that has led me to make career changes to have increasing levels of opportunity in new environments.
2. Who was an influential boss for you and what lessons did they teach you about management and leadership?
Who I worked for has been a huge factor for me in where I've chosen to work. I can honestly say that every boss I've worked for has been influential for me. The one that jumps to mind was my CFO at Corporate Express, Neil Guest. He challenged me to do things faster and smarter. The second week on the job he erased our entire [organizational] work chart, which was about 50 people, and asked what we would do if we could start over from scratch. That was really empowering.
In addition, he paired up accounting with the sales executives to develop a return-on-investment model with our largest potential customers and he gave each of us in accounting a sales quota. What a way to focus on how to add value to our customers.
3. What are the biggest challenges facing CFOs today?
The challenges are multifold. First is clearly the speed of change, especially around technology. How does your company stay ahead of the curve, how does technology potentially disrupt the market you're in and how can you make sure that your technology is being disruptive?
Second is the level of regulation in terms of financial accounting standards. You throw international standards and tax considerations into the mix and it's really challenging.
Last, business is becoming more and more international. It's no longer good enough to do what you do just in the United States or even in North America. The complexities that come with that, with culture differences and regulation, and time and language differences, add to the challenges. It used to be an issue for big companies, but now it's everyone.
4. What is a good day at work like for you?
A good day for me is one where I help solve a problem that moves the business forward. That can be as grand as helping set the corporate direction for the company for the next three years or helping to make a go-no-go decision on an acquisition or something smaller like setting quarterly sales goals for our sales team. The day that I leave work and feel that I have been able to make an impact on the business is a good day.
5. How would you characterize your management style?
I'm fairly hands-off. I expect the people I hired are capable and competent, and I stay out of the way and let them do their jobs. As part of that, the team's goals have to be very clearly defined. I hold weekly meetings with my team to make sure that their priorities are in line with my priorities and the company's priorities.
6. What strengths and qualities do you look for in job candidates?
Self-starters and people who like new challenges. In a small company like Market Force they also need to be flexible, capable and adaptable to change. I have found that cultural fit is more important than technical expertise. You can teach people the technical side of things, you cannot teach them the culture.
7. What are some of your favorite interview questions or techniques to elicit information to determine whether a candidate will be successful at your company? What sort of answers send up red flags for you and make you think a job candidate wouldn't be a good fit?
My favorite technique is to identify a meaningful experience in the candidate's career and do a deep dive in that experience. I especially like to explore experiences that were a challenge -- something that didn't go as they planned and how they dealt with that.
Alarm bells go off when someone can't answer something on a practical level, when they answer theoretically -- for example, if they say, "In that situation I would do this and in this situation, I would do that." I want to know what they actually did. If they can't answer that, it sets off alarm bells that they don't have experience in an actual situation.
8. What is it about your current job, at this particular company, that sets it apart from other chief finance positions?
Much of what sets it apart is the company itself. We're growing and we're transforming how our customers use customer intelligence. We've grown recently through two acquisitions that added to the international presence that I mentioned. And it's also the caliber of the management team. It's an honor for me to work with this group of people every day.
9. What do you do to unwind from a hectic day?
This question made me laugh. I have an 8-year-old and a 6-year-old. They don't give me much time to unwind. But once the email is turned off and the kids are in bed, I love to sit down with a good book. I like to do puzzles, jigsaw puzzles or Sudoku. And I like to travel to unwind even if it's just getting into the mountains for a couple of days.
10. If you weren't doing this job, what would you be doing?
Something that would involve more travel. Spending time in different places and in different cultures gives you a great perspective, even if it's travel in the U.S. And one day I would like to get more involved in nonprofit work. I have a friend who is starting a nonprofit to help special-needs kids and their families. I'm inspired by people who are passionate about helping others who are less fortunate.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


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Earthquake prone Japan sees green in new nuclear power plants
| Tokyo and Matsuyama, Japan
Japan is pressing ahead with an expansion of nuclear power, despite public unease and vocal opposition from activists.
Poor in natural resources, the country has long dreamed of reducing its fossil fuel dependency through domestic nuclear power. Now it's casting nuclear energy as a key to the fight against global warming, an argument that critics reject.
Japan's debate closely mirrors those worldwide, as governments highlight nuclear power as an easier way to cut carbon emissions than boosting wind and solar power.
President Obama, for example, on Feb. 16 announced $8.3 billion in loan guarantees to build the first nuclear reactors in the United States in 30 years – the first of many, he promised.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has pledged to cut Japan's carbon emissions to 75 percent of 1990 levels by 2020, if other major economies set similar targets. His government recently backed a plan for low-interest loans for new nuclear reactors.
"If we want to do this 25 percent reduction, obviously we need more nuclear plants," says Shunsuke Kondo, chairman of Japan's Atomic Energy Commission.
But the public isn't entirely convinced. According to the Japanese cabinet's own poll last November, 54 percent say they feel anxious or uneasy about nuclear power, with the top concern being the risk of an accident. Forty-two percent said they feel "safe" about nuclear power.
Meanwhile, activists criticize Japan's nuclear program as dangerous, expensive, and impractical. One concern is Japan's earthquake-prone geology, which they cite in raising the specter of a quake-induced Chernobyl. Just on Saturday, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit off Japan's southern coast, shaking Okinawa and nearby islands and rupturing water pipes.
In recent months, activists have focused their ire on the government's introduction of "pluthermal" fuel in nuclear plants. The term refers to the use of mixed uranium-plutonium fuel known as MOX (mixed-oxide) fuel.
The government touts pluthermal as a way to reuse spent fuel, saying it's more efficient and produces less high-level radioactive waste than normal reactors. It first introduced MOX fuel at a nuclear plant last year. That drew weeks of protests from activists.
A second plant, at Ikata, near the port city of Matsuyama, is set to use MOX fuel in March. "MOX fuel is many times more dangerous than uranium fuel," says Makoto Kondo, a longtime opponent of the Ikata plant. "When it comes to blasts or accidents, far more devastating damage would occur with pluthermal reactors."
Ambitious plans
Officials acknowledge they must work harder to win public trust. But they insist that nuclear plants are safe.
Japan now gets about a third of its electric power from some 54 nuclear power plants. It hopes to build eight more by 2018, boost capacity at its existing plants, and upgrade more plants into pluthermal ones.
The Atomic Energy Commission's Mr. Kondo and other officials say using MOX fuel allows Japan to recycle its energy resources. Japan currently sends spent fuel to Europe, where it is reprocessed into MOX fuel and shipped back. "The simple reason for using plutonium is because we want to use our resources as best as we can," Kondo says, adding that MOX fuel has been used safely in Europe for years.
He says Japan's plants were built to withstand all but a "once in 10,000 year" earthquake. But he acknowledges that since Japan switched on its first reactors in the 1960s, three quakes have produced vibrations exceeding design assumptions. (Large safety margins in construction prevented any major accidents in those cases, he says.)
According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), nearly a third of Japan's planned carbon reduction targets by 2020 will come from nuclear power, making it the biggest source of carbon-emission cuts after energy conservation (60 percent).
In contrast, the government expects less than 6 percent of cuts to come from renewable energies.
"Nuclear power is one of the important sources of Hatoyama's target," says Katsuyuki Tada, a deputy director at METI.
For Japanese planners, the goal is to achieve a self-sufficient "nuclear cycle," with fast-breeder reactors sending spent fuel to Japan's own reprocessing plants, to be turned into MOX fuel.
Public opposition
But critics say it's a costly and risky pipe dream. The fast-breeder reactor program is technically daunting and has been plagued by delays; 2050 is the current target for commercial use.
Japan is set to begin reprocessing this year or next, after many delays, and hopes to produce MOX fuel by 2015.
There's also a proliferation and terrorism risk. MOX fuel is a tightly regulated material that could be used to make a "dirty bomb." It's transported by custom-built, armed ships with an elite police detail.
Disposal is also a question. Like many countries, Japan has yet to establish a permanent storage site for high-level radioactive waste, and "not in my backyard" sentiment runs high.
But as even the activists admit, those concerns don't look likely to dissuade the government.


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DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress ran full-tilt into election-year gridlock over immigration Thursday and staggered toward a five-week summer break after failing to agree on legislation to cope with the influx of young immigrants flocking illegally to the United States.
Faring far better: a bipartisan, $16 billion measure to clean up after a scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs and a second bill to prevent a cutoff in highway funding. Both gained final passage in the Senate and were sent to President Barack Obama for his signature.
With lawmakers eager to adjourn, legislation to send Israel $225 million for its Iron Dome missile defense system was blocked, at least initially, by Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.
Three months before midterm elections, the unbreakable dispute over immigration exposed not only enduring disputes between the parties, but also differences inside the ranks of House Republicans and among Senate Democrats.
And a new outburst of harsh partisan rhetoric between leading officials in both parties served as yet another reminder that after 18 months in office, the current Congress has little to show for its efforts apart from abysmally low public approval ratings.
House Speaker John Boehner accused Democrats of pursuing a "nutso scheme" of trying to seize on the border crisis to try and grant a path to citizenship to millions of immigrants living in the country illegally.
Countering, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said blame for failing to fix problems at the border rested with Republicans. He charged they have refused to provide "the necessary resources to deal with what they themselves describe as a serious problem."
Despite Boehner's accusation, it was Republican unity that cracked first during the day.
A few hours after Boehner spoke, Republicans abruptly canceled a vote on their own border security legislation, a $659 million measure that also would make it easier to deport the children from Central America now flooding into the United States. They did so after a revolt by tea party-aligned GOP lawmakers, some of whom had conferred with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz the night before.
They argued that the leadership's offer of a vote on a companion bill, even if it were approved, would fall short of reversing a 2012 administration policy under which 500,000 immigrants living in the country illegally have obtained work permits.
A short while later, a $2.7 billion Democratic alternative to ease the crisis at the border perished in the Senate, blocked by Republicans and two Democrats seeking the right to seek changes.
So chaotic was the day that after initially announcing the House had taken its last vote, Republicans abruptly reversed course and announced plans to reconvene on Friday for a possible vote on legislation related to border security and immigration — details yet to be determined.
Asked what would change overnight, Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama said of fellow Republicans: "I'm hoping some people will grow up."
Whatever the eventual outcome in the House, there was no talk of any compromise with the Senate before lawmakers left town, Thursday night for the Senate and Friday for the House.
The prospect of a deadlock produced a blast from Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate who last week announced he was dispatching National Guard troops to the border.
"Congress should not go into recess until the job is completed," he said.
The veterans bill cleared the Senate on a vote of 91-3, one day after the House passed it by 420-5. It was a response to the extremely long delays that some veterans experienced while waiting for care, as well as a cover-up by some agency officials.
Most of the money will be used to let veterans seek care from outside physicians if they live more than 40 miles from a VA facility or face a long wait to see a doctor at one. The legislation also would allow the hiring of additional physicians for the VA and permit the firing of senior executives guilty of poor performance.
The bill marked a traditional compromise between the parties and the houses of the sort that lawmakers have struck for generations. Democrats gave up their insistence on more funding, and Republicans agreed to let deficits rise by $10 billion as part of the agreement rather than seek offsetting cuts elsewhere.
More urgent was the bill to prevent a reduction in federal highway construction funding at the height of the summer construction season.
The Transportation Department set Friday as the date the Highway Trust Fund will no longer be able to provide all the aid promised, and estimated that states could expect an average reduction of 28 percent unless Congress acted by then.
The two houses have played legislative ping pong with the issue in recent days. But with time running out, the Senate voted 81-13 to pass a House-approved measure making $10.8 billion available, enough to last until next May.
Legislation providing money for Iron Dome, the Israeli missile defense system, had yet to be made public late in the day. Instead, the funding was tucked inside a border security bill that was drafted by Senate Democrats and opposed by Republicans.
Officials said they expected that the Israeli money eventually would be broken out, and that if the Senate approved it, the House would agree.
But first, there was bickering aplenty over immigration, an issue that has divided Congress for years.
Said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky: "It boggles the mind that the president of the United States would rather fundraise in Hollywood than … to do something to prevent more young people from making the perilous and potentially life-threatening journey across the desert."
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, was no more charitable about House Republicans. She said their approach would "intensify the harm for children."
Administration officials have signaled that Obama intends to use an executive order to expand the program, which the president unveiled in the heat of his presidential re-election campaign in 2012.
If he does, Boehner said, "he'll be sealing the deal on his legacy of lawlessness."
Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Erica Werner, Joan Lowy, Donna Cassata, Andrew Taylor and Alan Fram contributed to this report.


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